Saturday, August 17, 2013

Proton Suprima S : RM77k-RM80

Greetings from the Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre in
Kuala Lumpur, where we’re reporting live from the launch of the Proton Suprima S,
the national car maker’s latest model. By now, you’d undoubtedly have
watched the unveiling ceremony for the car via our dedicated live video
stream – now, it’s time for the launch report.
The Proton Suprima S – the name of which is derived from the English
root word ‘supreme’ – arrives on the scene 16 months after the Preve sedan
premiered, and the five-door C-segment hatchback makes its debut in
only a single engine guise (in two variant forms, the Executive and
Premium) at point of launch, this being the familiar CamPro 1.6 turbo.
The same mill equips the Premium version of the Preve, and makes it
way on here without any revisions – the low-pressure turbocharged unit
delivers identical 138 hp at 5,000 rpm and 205 Nm between 2,000 and
4,000 rpm output numbers.
No sign of the normally-aspirated IAFM+ engine for the hatch – by the
looks of it, Proton is targeting the Suprima S as a sportier offering,
in keeping with the nature of the bodystyle. To cement that point, the
‘S’ suffix stands for Sport.
It’s therefore surprising to find that there’s no sign of the Getrag
five-speed manual transmission on the car at this juncture, the CamPro
unit being paired to the same seven-speed Punch VT3 CVT gearbox as
fitted on the turbocharged Preve.
In terms of performance figures, the Suprima S has a 190 km/h top
speed and a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 9.9 seconds, while fuel
consumption is rated at 9.1 litres per 100 km. In comparison, the
equivalent turbocharged Preve has a quoted 200 km/h top speed and 0-100
km/h time of 9.6 seconds, as well as a 8.2 litres per 100 km combined
cycle fuel consumption.
Much of this can be explained by the kerb weight of the Suprima S,
which is 1,375 kg for the Executive and 1,395 kg for the Premium.
Essentially, the hatch is slightly heavier than the 1.6 Premium CFE Preve, which tips the scales at 1,340 kg.
Other numbers for the hatch are overall dimensions that measure in at
4,436 mm long, 1,786 mm wide and 1,524 mm tall, with a 2,650 mm long
wheelbase (front overhang 918 mm, rear 868 mm) and a ground clearance of
155 mm. Both the front and rear track are the same at 1,542 mm each.
Aside from the length, these figures for the Suprima S are exactly
identical to that of the Preve sedan. The Preve is longer by 107 mm,
measuring in at 4,543 mm, the lack of a tail in the Suprima S obviously
trimming the length.
Design-wise, the Suprima S has a visually tauter front end compared
to its Preve sibling, the Proton Wings-inspired face displaying a new
black honeycomb grille and new inserts for the bumper; the fog lamp
surround on the left continues to be an intake point, feeding air to the
intercooler.
Both variants have projector headlamps, the Executive’s coming with a
LED position lamp (similar to the Preve) while the Premium’s shod with
brighter DRLs. Other elements include an angular design rear lamp
cluster with a LED light guide strip and a roof spoiler that both
extends the roofline and improves airflow and aerodynamics.
Elsewhere, a Turbo badge finds its way on to the left section of the
rear bootlid, as does a ‘Handling by Lotus’ badge, first seen on the
Satria GTI more than a decade ago.

Pricing-wise, the on-the-road selling price for the Proton Suprima S –
which comes with a five-year warranty and five-year free road assist
programme – is as follows: